Our ‘Pujo’ car was part of the family back in the day

Most young people these days drive their first cars in their early 20s.

When growing up in Buru many years ago, I never dreamt that my father would one day own a car — he later shipped in our first family car from Europe. The car was a Peugeot 304 KWR 121. That became my dream car.

Mr Okumu, my childhood mentor, also drove a Peugeot 304. I was a regular beneficiary when it came to hiking rides once in a while.

Back then, having a car was a privilege. A car was like a member of the family — It was treated with baby gloves. It was rare to find a person without a well-maintained car. Being chosen as the official family car wash guy was a privilege.

Back to KWR 121. The car was a left-hand drive (LHD), that’s why to date, I prefer LHD cars. I have had two right hand drive (RHD) cars, but disposed of them in less than two years because I just wasn’t comfortable in a RHD.

I was very proud when the family car rolled onto the parking area in front of the house.

I remember my sister Becky and I being dropped to Buruburu Phase 1 Primary School in the mornings. That alone earned us a lot of respect from other students. I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to walk for long to school. I also can’t forget the first time my dad used the car to go to his shagz in Busia.

I came to respect and love the French car because of how it handled the road. Back then all cars were manual and very powerful, unlike the automatic vehicles we drive nowadays .

After many years, I came to inherit the French automobile and it never let me down. My buddy, Rashid Kilanga, can confirm this — we really had adventures with the Peugeot 304.

Many motorists saw its ancient number plate and thought the car had no power. Little did they know it was a simba. My sister Helen referred to it as ‘Concours’ in reference to Concours d’Elegance vintage car show.

The best experience was when some new Japanese model tried to catch up with us as we went down Valley Road.

Later on after more than 30 years, I retired KWR 121 and let it breakdown naturally — I could not imagine seeing someone else driving it. I then upgraded to Peugeot 405. It had to be a Pujo and LHD of course! I also enjoyed riding in the 405, that is if you overlook the small matter of maintenance, which was not as good as the 304.

I retired the car recently and intend to go for another LHD — this time from Germany. It’s going to be of a bigger engine — at my age I should not be worrying about engine size and fuel consumption. Now, life is about enjoying the ride.

My advice to the ‘Mahewa Generation’ is this: Your first car must not dent your pocket. Don’t be a victim of peer pressure and go for the big European cars for status. Work hard to acquire wealth first then go for the big-hitters when you come of age.

[email protected]

@AineaOJiambo